The project “grew”. From what the locals and the Catholic Church admit...it was a renovation project over the church, the residence of the bishop, the area between the two, and a couple of other structures connected to the church.
My impression is that they started with requirements list 1.0, and just gradually added other pieces and requirements. It expanded out. This guy was a priest at best...not a construction, renovation or project management guy.
One other thing that I will point out. Upscale houses in the Limburg area...tend to have upper-level cost fixtures in the house. Germans are willing to pay $20,000 for a bathroom renovation to have the bathroom of their “dreams”. It may be that he just got caught up in this thinking, and allowed a high-end tub to enter the planning, along with a high-end table, and expensive landscaping.
On my walk around Limburg a month ago, I came across this ten-foot wide structure about six blocks from the Catholic Church....between two houses. Someone had spent a vast amount of money fixing up a house that is no more than ten foot wide. Again, it’s the mentality of the locals....whatever is possible (with cash)....is achievable, even if it’s a house only ten foot wide.
Having read the article everyone would think the bishop has spent $31m for his personal needs, not the cathedral or the parish's infrastructure.
I think a bishop should be aware of the right proportion between his own and the parish's needs, whatever bad manager he is (while a bishop should be a reasonably good manager, it's bishops' duty historically, he's not an recluse monk).
Maybe some locals don't allow their bishop what they allow themselves, it's hypocritical and unjust.